Spaghettini with chicken liver and red wine sauce is a delicious dish from the fantastic Bottega del Vino wine bar/bistro in Verona. They make it by pan frying whole lobes of succulent chicken livers then simmering them in a red wine tomato sauce and tossing them with pasta. The dish is, of course, meant for the region's wines, namely amarone, a big, powerful, intense brute of a wine. The best wine with this dish needs to have concentration so it doesn't get left behind by the dish. Some finesse and elegance in the wine will ensure the combination is enjoyable both on frosty winter days and in milder weather. D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz 2005, McLaren Vale, South Australia This is the little brother to the famous Dead Arm shiraz, but calling it little is only relative to the Dead Arm's intensity. The Footbolt is still a mighty powerful wine but it also has much elegance by Aussie shiraz standards. It's all about deep fruit. The palate is silky and very giving, and it's a perfect match with the pasta dish. The Footbolt has a similar flavour to Valpolicella's ripasso wines - they're equally savoury and deep. It has plenty of fruit to manage the liver's richness, and is a full-on, hearty match for cold nights. Available for HK$125 from Watson's (tel: 2606 2828) Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Napa Valley, California Elegance, elegance and more elegance is what this stunning Napa cabernet is all about. There is, of course, plenty of Californian richness and depth, especially in the sunny 2005 vintage. This richness and the excellent tannins give balance to the pasta; the tannins also give the combination a cleansing balance. The flavours are long lasting and very complex. Some would say that the 2005 is too young to drink, but you could also argue that good wine has something to offer throughout its life. Available for HK$1,176 from Golden Gate Wine (tel: 2891 8121) Penfolds St Henri 2004, South Australia Some wine lovers call this shiraz 'baby Grange'. Made with virtually no new oak, the wine is all about lots of fruit. It's truly and typically Australian, and in a class of its own. The rich, spicy, savoury shiraz fruit offers lubrication to the pasta with chicken liver, and as the flavours massage each other they also interconnect. The result is a lovely juggle between the wine's depth and pasta's definition. Available for HK$463 from Jebsen (tel: 2923 8777)
